Beat hot flushes for good

Hot flushes, which can disrupt sleep if they occur at night, are the result of fluctuating levels of the female hormone, oestrogen.

'Women can't avoid the menopause, which happens typically around the age of 51.

But they can do something about hot flushes that often go with it,' says Mr Mike Bowen, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist based at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth in London.

Cause

Hot flushes, which can disrupt sleep if they occur at night, are the result of fluctuating levels of the female hormone, oestrogen.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

This causes vasodilation – expanding of the blood vessels – which causes blood from the core to flood into the skin.

'It is a bit like turning all the radiators on high – which causes sweating, skin pinkness and overheating,' explains Mr Bowen.

Not all women going through the menopause suffer from hot flushes, and some find it more uncomfortable than others.

Reduce your symptoms

There are conventional ways to reduce symptoms if they are bothering you.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which involves boosting levels of oestrogen in the blood either through tablets, gels, skin patches or implants, is proven to be very effective.

Some women, however, will be advised not to take it, including those who have recently suffered a blood clot or a heart attack.

'Essentially what you are doing is replacing oestrogen that has been lost,' says Mr Bowen.

Although HRT has been linked to breast cancer, the increased risk is small.

'Against a lifetime risk of one in seven women getting breast cancer, taking HRT for five years will increase that risk very slightly, by two in a thousand women,' says Mr Bowen.

Some drugs more commonly used as antidepressants may also help because they damp down the body's blood vessel system.

Alternative remedies

For those who would rather investigate a more natural route, or who cannot tolerate HRT, alternative therapies include acupuncture, the Ancient Chinese needle therapy which is said to tap into energy channels around the body.

In a 2011 study published in the journal, Acupuncture in Medicine, Turkish researchers found that menopausal women who had needle therapy for a period of 10 weeks experienced less severe hot flushes and mood swings than women who had dummy acupuncture with blunted needles.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

However, the trial was small – just 53 women in all – so the jury is still out as to whether acupuncture can really make a difference.

David Sturdee, a founding member of the International and British Menopause Societies, says: 'The evidence is not strong from previous studies and this a small trial. We need to have much bigger numbers to prove this really can help women going through the menopause.'

Mr Bowen points out that the placebo effect may be more important than clinical proof.

'In this case, we are talking about symptomatic relief. If a woman says her symptoms are easing, then it is working – even if it is a placebo effect.'

Some herbal medicines are said to help, although you should always treat herbal compounds with caution, particularly since Chinese medicines have been found to contain small amounts of active drugs.

However, Vitex agnus-castus, also known as Monk's Pepper or Chasteberry extract, has been well studied and a study published in the British Medical Journal concluded it did confer some value for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome.

It appears to have a hormone regulating effect and may settle hormone fluctuations.

Others swear by bio-identical hormones, which are naturally produced hormones said to be exactly the same as our own hormones.

In fact, these treatments are very similar to HRT but are given in unregulated amounts and there is still little evidence that they work.

Keeping cool

Simple solutions like keeping your bedroom cool – opening a window at night and turning down the heating – can also make a difference.

Some women swear by putting pillows in the freezer for a few minutes to give them a pleasant chill.

Diet

Women who are experiencing hot flushes should avoid alcohol and caffeine, which both cause blood vessels to dilate and make the problem worse.

Spicy foods should also be eaten in moderation.

Some foods may even help.

Foods that are rich in phytooestrogens, which mimic oestrogen in the body, may reduce the symptoms of the menopause, including hot flushes.

'More research is needed before the benefits of taking these substances are proven but it may be helpful to include more plant oestrogen-rich foods in your diet.

'These include calcium-enriched soya products like milk, yoghurts and desserts; and soya and linseed breads or a red clover supplement,' says a spokesperson from the British Dietetic Association.

Other food types, such as nuts, oil seeds and herbs, are also good sources of phytoestrogens, even though in relatively low concentrations.

Although there are no studies to prove that phytoestrogens make a difference, anecdotally, many women say that changing their diet does work.

And there is some intriguing evidence that populations who eat a lot of soya – including women in Japan and South East Asia – do not appear to suffer the same way with hot flushes and sweats as we do in the western world.

However you decide to tackle hot flushes – and that includes reducing stress levels, which are linked to more pronounced symptoms – the good news is that hot flushes will gradually ease in intensity, and for most women, they disappear altogether.

NetDoctor, part of the Hearst UK wellbeing network
Netdoctor participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.